The Heart Is An Enigma
by Anderax123
Summary: This is a love story between the couple that were simply made for one another Ray and Mariah from beyblade series one. This story has a lot of fantasy and things that the TV show suggested but never actually said, there is also the addition of a new character, enter Mariah and Lee's mother. so sit back and buckle up this is going to get a bit edgy.
1. Torn, Scorn And Pain Like Thorns

**Torn, Scorn and pain like Thorns**

**Chapter 1**

. On a hill side in the middle of the forest, there is a house where the most heart breaking tale of a heart and the yearning that unfolds. Through the trees and the dense vegetation, the smoke and light rise from the tiny little cottage. Tears and hair choked the young girl in the window, as she stared out at the rain. She couldn't think of anything more than the boy in her room. Her pink hair shone in the lightning strikes and the thunder crashes. They reminded her of the loss she had encountered all those years ago. The thunder sounded like the roar of a tiger as is slashed the very flesh of her neck, it was torturing her. Even though the she had her hole filled with him, she felt detached from the boy none the less. Mariah looked up; the clouds were sending her a message.

"Speak to me." She thought as she stepped out onto the balcony. Mariah reached for the Gutter to get to the roof Clambering up the side of the house her pink night gown flowed in the wind. Her grip was weakening in under the pressure of the rain. It became cold, the feeling was like a sensation of twelve thousand knives, not stabbing, but scratching, over and over all across her body. Mariah cursed at her stupidity, _'why didn't I get more than a bloody robe'_ she asked herself in her head. She looked down, it was coming off. She tried to grip the sleeves but she was slipping off of the ledge. Before she could grab the darn thing, the robe flew off and landed up one the infinite trees all around her. "Damn it she thought as she looked down, hanging off the house roof in the middle of a thunder storm I hope the neighbours don't see" she murmured. The rain poured down onto her now bare skin. Looking down, she realised that she was now completely nude. Mariah thrusted herself upon the roof and saw an old friend. "Kevin?" She asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Kevin looked up and widened his eyes, "Mariah…Nice…Show" she blushed. "Shut up Kevin! You haven't been here in over three years." Kevin didn't answer, for any reply he could give that had any truth behind it at all would sound very creepy indeed. Kevin had taken to the life of a real animal and had to become nocturnal as a result of all of the hunters that come out during the day. "Well...What about you, coming up on the roof, Stark naked, in the middle of the night, during a thunder storm?" Mariah was confused, you need to answer my questions with answers you know, as aposed to more questions." Kevin looked down at the girl opposite him. How innocent and honest she looked. "You should really learn to cover up, Mariah, you could get taken for..." Kevin stopped himself. " At least people can see my face, you keep yours covered up!" Kevin was hurt. "Do you want to see why I keep my face covered up? He glared at her. The green teen took his right hand and placed it on his chin. Slowly but surely he wiped his hand up his face and removed the hair, dangling over his right side. Mariah gasped in horror at the sight before her. "Kevin…I…I had no idea" Kevin cut her off "No, I guess you didn't and nobody must know, ever, you understand?" she could only nod as he placed his hair back over his face. His eyes wondered over to Mariah again. "Please stop crying Mariah please" she sniffed and wiped her nose with her arm and then remembered she was naked. "Here, I was going to keep and enjoy your looks an all but, I think you need it more" he handed her a coat her kept in his satchel at all times for emergencies. "Sorry, Kevin." He looked up at her in shock, "Why?"

"Truly, I had no idea, honest I didn't" she sat up next to her companion and looked over at him. "How's Ray" he asked "is he alright? I would have thought that you would be sleeping alongside him right now not invading my time half naked" she looked up at the sky again. "I love Ray, Kevin you know that but, I fear that he does not see me the same way I see him. He said that he wanted to be friends after the Asian tournament and even after the Russian one that Tyson won and became world champion somehow even though it was a team event, Ray said he loved me as a sister." She began to tear again

"Mariah…Maybe you don't need _Ray_ to be happy, maybe the guy you need has been staring you right in the face for so long now you have just taken his look for granted and don't even notice him there anymore…Maybe?" She looked down and played with the ends of her hair for a while, "Maybe, but I don't think I can love anyone but Ray now." Kevin swallowed hard and turned for her. Without warning he threw himself upon Mariah and began to kiss her repeatedly. Mariah struggled and squirmed free of Kevin's death hold. Once free she slapped him twice around the face front hand and back and then one upside the head. "You worm, I didn't think you meant you!"

Without another word she stripped clean of the coat and leapt from roof to the balcony once more. Mariah was about to grasp the door handle when Kevin hopped down after her. "Mariah wait!" at that moment the curtain drew and the door opened. Ray was stood in the gap looking at the pair.

"Mariah, why are you na…" Mariah was not going to wait for the sentence to finish as she threw herself into his arms. "…ked, Kevin what happened out here?" Kevin didn't say a word, he just backed off. "He tried to kiss me" Ray took two and two together and got five hundred. _Mariah is naked, Kevin looks guilty and Mariah is so happy to see me "_You little rapist, COME HERE!" Ray yelled off the balcony as Kevin ran off into the distance. Ray held Mariah close to his chest and she heard his heart beat. "Why were you out there naked anyway?" she didn't know what to say. "Well my robe is at the end of the garden in Mrs. Winter's garden" she grinned "But now you can buy us matching monogrammed ones!" She sniggered as he looked down at her. Stroking her pink, thick hair Ray laid Mariah down in the bed and they both slept soundly until dawn. The next day breakfast was awkward, Ray glared at Kevin from across the table only ever blinking for when Gary's food flew over the table and hit his face, Kevin tried to keep himself to his self and Lee glared at Ray and Kevin. Mariah sat in the middle of it all trying to stop herself noticing all of the problems around her. "Nom, nom. This is delicious Mariah, thank you!" Gary grumbled, "You are very welcome, Gary, I am glad you liked it" Mariah grinned, _finally _she thought_ the ice is broken maybe a conversation will break out now!_ She was right; Lee stood up and asked aloud.

"What is the matter with you people?"

"Why don't you ask Kevin?"

"Well I didn't know it would go so badly!"

"You _mean_ you thought I wouldn't have found out!" The shouting continued until the meal was over, Lee only didn't step in because of his desire for this to carry on as he secretly found it entertaining. Kevin got off the chair and tried to run, Gray stood in his way. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked. Lee stood up and actually intervened. "What happened…Ray" Ray looked down at the floor. "Yesterday night" he began "Kevin tried to rape Mariah!" Kevin bowed his head in shame. Lee looked at him in utter disgust. "You sicken me, you filthy little toad, you bring shame upon us all!"

"I didn't rape her, I tried to kiss her and she happened to be naked at the time, ask her I was clothed the whole time!" All eyes were on Mariah, she didn't like the pressure. "Well…" she started, Ray's eyes lit up with rage. "He was clothed but I didn't want it, and I was not stripped by Kevin, I felt like going on to the roof and I was in my night gown. The bloody pink thing was wiped away by the wind; he actually offered me a coat. You could say that he was trying to restrain himself from looking at my shame. I didn't even have a bra on!" Ray looked at her and turned. He walked over to the opening and left for the garden. "Ray!" Mariah called after him. She began to cry and ran for her room. Her pink clothes soaked in tears as she buried her face in her pillow. There was a knock at the door.

"Mariah…Mariah let me in, c'mon let me in!" she got up; she could not quite make out who it was "Go away! Who is it?" the voice answered back, "It's Lee, c'mon, you can't stay there all by yourself" "Door's open" it clacked and Lee walked into the room and sat by the poor girl. Mariah looked up, her eyes were covered in brine and her mascara smeared over her cheeks. "What have I done, Lee?" she asked. Lee only bowed his head, "you just need to give Ray a bit of space, and he'll come around". "How can you be so calm, the lie was told to you too?" Lee shook his head. "The thing is, Kevin may be a worm but he was never capable of rape. I knew that, but stepping fourth at that moment was not the time, as you know, everything has a right time" He said. Mariah got up and looked out the window to the pond. Ray was stood on a rock, skimming stones out onto the water and watching the coy fish. "I just want to go and hug him. But he won't hug me back will he?"

"The only way to find out is to go and try it. You know him better than I but if it were me, I would. Ray doesn't bare grudges. Go and apologize. Think about it. The wound is still fresh, you want to strike while flesh is bare rather than waiting until the cut scabs over and becomes course. It's pretty much now or never." Mariah looked at the mirror and tidied herself up. "Hup" she went as she jumped from the window, "Ow bugger" Mariah fell to the ground and landed on her rear end. Ray turned, "Mariah, are you okay?" she rubbed her bottom as he offered his hand to her. "Yeah thanks," then it clicked, "OH! No fair, it was my chance to come and make you feel better not you me." Ray was shocked "Oh sorry, you first." He held out his hand in an 'after you' fashion a butler would gesture when holding a door open. She caught on to the game. "Well, Raymond, I have come before you this morning to express my deepest and most humble apology in the effort to gain your friendship once more and a hug upfront" Mariah gave a crooked smile and a cheeky grin, as she always would when she's in trouble with any member of the gang. Ray just smiled and chuckled at her as he always did. "When do think you were going to tell me, Mariah?" Ray asked. She just looked up with her golden tiger eyes; "err…Never felt about right" Ray just looked at her and rolled her eyes. No matter how long he had been gone for, Mariah was the same think pink child he left all those years ago.

On the way back to the house, Ray noticed Kevin sat on the porch picking at his fingers and biting his nails. He looked up and glared at Ray and Mariah together. "You two deserve each other". He muttered. The pair looked up and Mariah got down on her knees and tried to talk to him, like she was coaxing a kitten out from under a chest of draws. "Kevin, I am so, so sorry. I should have said something…Friends?" she asked. "No. last night may have been a miss understanding but I did try it on with you and I insulted Ray. You insulted me, and I shamed the white tigers. I just waited here to tell you that I am leaving." Mariah's eyes were widened so far Ray thought the eyes themselves were making a break for it.

"You can't, Kevin you can't leave. Do you hear me, if you leave this village then I won't forgive you, ever."

"You forgave Ray!"

"But you are not my first love, are you." Kevin grabbed a bindle and jumped off of the porch and grabbed the pole stretched off of the roof. He shimmied along the metal spike and hopped up onto the roof. He ran across and left the sight of the girl who pushed him. Ray tried to hold Mariah in his arms and she broke free. "Kevin!" she yelled. Mariah ran for the back door and darted through the kitchen, the front room and pushed Lee to the floor. Out of the front door and screamed for Kevin. She fell to the floor and began to cry. Looking at hear knees and sobbing Mariah didn't notice the car coming. Mariah looked up and everything went into slow motion.'Ray was running like he was trudging through custard, Lee was yelling for me like he was genuinely fearful for my very life, his eyes lit up and his mouth agape. He was yelling my name. Then something appeared from the corner of my sight. It was green. The next thing I was on the other side of the road and looking at the tail end of the car._' _ Kevin set down the pink girl and tried to run. "Kevin…Wait". Kevin sighed. "What, I just want to go before it gets awkward, okay". Mariah smiled. "Too late for that" she added. "C'mon you didn't think it was going to happen anyway, did you? Every hero deserves a reward" said Mariah. Before he could say anything Kevin had a face full of Mariah. She grasped his head and placed their tongues together. Lips smacking Kevin's eyes closed. Mariah's too. "Well that was…something!" Kevin slurred. Mariah turned her back and winked at him. She ran back over to Ray and gave him a kiss and lifted her foot. The gang looked at Kevin. Kevin looked back. He sighed as he came back over road. The gang cheered for his return and the heroic act. "Hope you liked it" whispered Mariah into Kevin's ear.


	2. The Pink Pivot

**The Pink Pivot**

**Chapter 2**

Ray lay awake in his bed. Thinking and pondering what could have happened if Kevin really did try to rape Mariah, what if she enjoyed it and it became just an interesting sexual session on the roof. Most of all, Ray was worried about Mariah's thoughts, what dwelled within them? The ideas made Ray feel queasy. Stumbling out of the bed, he caught sight of the girl who was laid next to him. Mariah slept soundly as she always did; No snoring ever clouded the atmosphere around her as she dove deeper in to her slumber. Ray liked this quality. It made sharing a room with Mariah so much easier. Ray had experience of sharing a room with others, but Tyson's snorting made sleep a very daunting task indeed. He ventured outside the bedroom onto the landing. Grabbing the maple and oak banister, Ray stepped down the carpet covered stairs to the living room.

"This place is creepy at night" thought Ray. Suddenly, there was a sound coming from the kitchen. There was also a muffled voice. The light shone from inside. "What if its Gary stuffing his face again, that guy sure can sleep eat?" He poked his head round the door. The fridge _was_ open. The mystery eater darted behind the table quickly. Ray grabbed the knife on the kitchen the counter next to him. Creeping closer and closer, he swung the knife frantically hoping to stun his target. "If it is Gary then he won't feel the knife at all he that tough, if it is a burglar then I will wound him" Planned Ray. "Whoa, whoa Ray stop man it's me Kevin...Kevin man!" Ray looked at the chairs as Kevin emerged from under them, tucked under the table.

Time passed with Ray apologizing every thirty seconds. "So what are you doing down here Kevin?" asked Ray. "Well, I was going to...get out". Ray was shocked, raised eye brows and wide eyes expressed the disgust of Kevin's last comment. "Kevin! What the hell were you thinking? You kissed Mariah today. You may not know it but she'll be so hung up on that right now and you want to leave after that. Like the worlds biggest bombshell, a dog defecating on the carpet if you will, and then just leaving the room. _You_ are that dog!" Shouted Ray. Kevin's eyes lit up. The violet rings around his pupils replaced by fire and pain. Inside, Kevin knew he was wrong and he knew that Ray knew it. "Don't lecture me Raymond Kon, don't you dare" Ray was surprised, Kevin didn't get angry, he got spiteful. Not that anyone dared to stop him. If anyone ever got close enough to angering him, you won't leave with your arm. Ray didn't care. "What are you going to do, tiny, bite my knee caps and give me imprints?" Kevin launched himself at Ray. Like a wild chimpanzee, Kevin sprang about striking Ray repeatedly at across the face with closed fists. The punches struck with the full force of a tank, driven by the angriest driver in the entire world. They really hurt. Ray couldn't believe it; the first blow knocked him off guard and the countless successors made sure he couldn't regain it.

Ray finally saw an opening. Grabbing the lamp to his right, Ray smacked Kevin over the back of the head knocking him to the ground. Kevin laid his hand upon the back of his head and then checked his palm. "Blood...That took some doing" he said as he looked up at Ray. "You are going to have a lot more than that though". The fight continued to go on into the night with each blow more vicious than the last. Both of them were drawing blood now with every lunge. Ray had flesh hanging from his torso and upper arms. Blood drenched clothing and tore head bands were all that covered the horrific gashes. Kevin on the other hand, was much better off than Ray so far. The main injury was his right eye which was swollen so much that Kevin could not see out of it. The only other injuries that he had sustained were a few scrapes and to the legs and neck. The crashes had awoken someone from the upstairs, not that either of the pair had noticed this. The footsteps echoed through the house as Ray finally noticed, Kevin was still completely unaware. Gary stepped around the corner and grabbed Kevin's pony tail. With his other gargantuan hand, he held Ray by the head and picked him up. "Ouch" the pair cried out as Gary plunged their heads into one another, the knock echoed throughout the house. "You two woke me up and I don't like waking up in the middle of the night!" Gary boomed. "Or ever" whispered Kevin, who didn't want to be heard. Gary went back upstairs and yawned on the way. Kevin looked up at Ray and headed for the front door. Ray got in the way and said, "Whoa partner" like an old western movie, "I don't think so." Kevin just sighed and headed back upstairs. Ray followed suit.

Once upstairs, Ray opened the bedroom door and crept through. Slowly he closed the door and clicked it shut. Ray ducked his head for the click as if to be worried that someone was watching. After pulling back the pull door leading to the main portion of the room he stepped forth. Ray turned to push the door back across when the light clicked on. Ray turned around suddenly to see Mariah, standing in the middle of her room wearing the large night dress she wears when ever her and Ray don't get up to anything during the night. (So in other words not the one from earlier). It was long and flowing in white with blue trim across the wrists, torso and ankles. The arms were too big for her but she didn't mind; in the cold nights, the dress was actually really warm. It was also the only item of clothing (or anything else for that matter) that wasn't bright or hot pink.

"What were you doing up?" she asked. "I heard noises downstairs" suddenly she noticed the scars on Ray's perfectly developed torso and six pack, it was Mariah's favourite part of Ray because she could see it all of the time and it wouldn't be frowned upon because all of the men in her village walk around topless. "Oh my heavens, are you alright?" Mariah's expression was of genuine shock and worry. "Yes, I am fine Mariah. Don't worry yourself." Mariah took no notice for when an idea got into that pink head of hers then nothing could shake it. Tutting Mariah gestured for Ray to go and sit on the bed. "Mariah, that's really not necessary." Without even a moment separating the two sentences she replied rather harshly. "Now, Raymond!"

Once on the bed he watched as Mariah fumbled about a cabinet on the wall and then his heart stopped when he saw what emerged from the cupboard in her hand. Giving her one of his own cheeky smiles, Ray tried top back away. "You know, there is some methanol in the downstairs cupboard, just let me go get it." Mariah raised her eyebrows and pointed to the bed. Ray lowered his head and did as he was told. Once aboard the bed, Mariah sat down next to him with the bottle in one hand and a cotton make up remover in the other. Mariah held the pad over the bottle and quickly turned the bottle over and then back again. "Now this may sting jus... quite a lot actually, I am not going to lie to you, you always see right through me anyway" Mariah said as she3 placed the cotton pad to Ray's right upper chest. "Argh" Screamed Ray as the liquid sank down into the open flesh wounds. The only thing that comforted Ray was Mariah's concerned face, looking up at him always as she did. While this face was nothing new to him, it was still calming to know that is was there even after she had seen this weakness.

"So Ray, what did happen down there?" asked Mariah as she took a needle from behind her left ear. "Do you always carry that around with you Mariah? Asked Ray. Mariah hated it when someone answered her questions with more questions. "Everyday, just behind the bow". Ray was puzzled but began the tale anyway. Once finished with the sewing. Mariah heard a detail she didn't like. Placing the needle back behind her ear and tucking it onto her bow, she stood up. Mariah walked over the bathroom. Without another word. Ray listened intently. There was no sound at all. "Mariah? Are you okay?" silence. Ray went over to the bed again and got between the sheets. Before too long Ray was asleep. Mariah emerged from the bathroom with her bow in her hand. Once outside she tied the bow over the banister if the landing. Tying it around her neck, Mariah stepped over the edge to sit on it. With one more look at the shoes that she was wearing. (It was important to her because she got them for her birthday, they were pink and the whole gang got them for her. This reminded Mariah that she had people who cared for her). With one last listen for the running water in the leaky pipes and a single shimmying motion, Mariah fell over the side. The bow caught her neck and nearly ripped through the skin. Her feet spluttered and jerked. "How could you Kevin?"...


	3. The Loss Of A Girl, The Gain Of A Beast

Hello everyone and can I just say a great big Thank you to my only reviewer so far Kuzon98. If anyone either Private Messages me or reviews my story with a request to have their name posted on my 'story thank you bit'... (Name needs work) will always be answered with their name on my awfully named 'story thank you bit' and for all of those who are wondering, I AM NOT A GIRL! I AM JUST A GOOD WRITER (apparently) SO STOP SAYING THAT! I AM A 15 YEAR OLD BOY. Just one more thing. This is not a Mariah basher chapter. She gets into a fight and well I can't say that because it will ruin the ending so...just read and you will see. lol

**Chapter 3**

**The loss of a girl, the gain of a beast**

The noises alerted the ever protective Ray from his slumber and forced him into action. Though he didn't know what was wrong, Ray was certain that something was massively wrong. Wisping the sheets from his stitched up body Ray leapt into action. His ears pricked. The sounds were coming from the living room. (Ray's Thoughts In Italics) _Damn it, the sound is like a spluttering and jerking. What could it be?_ Ray pounced over the chair and out on to the landing. The bow was right in front of him and he knew that it would have something to do with Mariah. "Mariah, oh sh..." He was interrupted by a snapping and then a large thud. Looking over the banister, Ray saw Mariah, laid over the floor in a pool of her own blood. Mariah opened her eyes and stared upward. She could see nothing in the centre of her sight as the grey blob was blocking it. Despite this she knew that it was Ray by her side, not one of the others. "Ray..." Mariah whispered "It is you...isn't it?" Ray looked down and began to fill up. "Mariah why? Are you insane?" Mariah just looked back up at him, she could barely speak. Ray took his right hand and placed it on her neck to try and stop the blood pumping out of the gash. Mariah began to black out, her eyes rolled back and her body went limp.

"Mariah! No, no, no stay with me, Mariah!" Ray shook her violently, desperately trying to revive her. Knowing that this would be his last attempt at saving her, Ray hoisted Mariah onto her back and scooped her up in his arms. Running. Ray darted through the village and headed to the Garden of wonders. The only magical place left in the world. It's powers were unfathomable to any mortal and even the lesser half god. Ray placed Mariah on an oltar that would have been used as a sacrifice table. "At least if you do die, then you will be surrounded by others in your situation. On conscious, Mariah lay still, motionless, you could swear to it that she was already dead. Ray turned to the pool at the end of the of the walk way. The stone pillars were silent as all posts are, but not to Ray, to him they were demons, demons that pull faces and taunt at the ones who cling to life with every fibre of their existence. Some hope to see another Christmas. Others hope to visit the sites around the world. But Mariah hung on for one reason, she was going to tell Ray what she thought of him after so long of trying. So many suttle hints and clues left and all had been missed. Using a towel, Ray picked up water from the pool and poured over the child before him. She didn't even stur.

(Inside Mariah's mind/ on the way to heaven)

"_Oh my heavens, _Ray is trying to get me back so hard why can't I wake up" Mariah screamed. "because it is not the way of things, young lady!" said a voice from behind her. Mariah turned around. Shocked by the sight before her, Mariah fell to the floor and cried, "Mother! How...can this be?" she asked. The old woman simply shook her head. "Tut, tut Mariah. You always did get distracted by the small things didn't you. I am not actually here, I am across this lne..." Mariah's mother drew a line in the floor with her finger that suddenly faded in to become real. "All you have to do to make me real, is cross the line." Mariah hesitated at first and the began to step up to the line. "There is no return after I step over this line is there?" Mariah asked disappointedly. "Indeed not sweet heart but does it matter? Do you really want to go back to the world you have left behind? Yes I will grant you that Ray looks like a nice boy, I mean, I held him in my arms when he was only two years old. You were fascinating to him when he grew up and you were born you know. But Lee almost drove you to this a few years ago now didn't he. And Kevin doesn't make things any easier either." Mariah wiped her eyes with her sleeve and looked at the old lady. Her wrinkled nose and eyes made her smile look so sincere she really wanted t go through and talk to her some more. "Why is this so hard?" she yelled frustratingly, as she banged the floor with her fist repeatedly Mariah spotted something. It was a glint of light from the corner of her mother's eye. "hmm hmm. You love him...don't you?" Mariah looked up and blushed. She tried to nod her head and say yes, but only gibberish flowed where an educated response should have been. "Well...um... you could... possibly" Her mother cut her off. "I understand...I was the same you know. All stary-eyed over some boy who, oh, he had such a chest. His biceps rippled like a fresh water pool disturbed by the final leaf off of the old oak tree" Mariah got up and ran up to the old lady. "Ray is NOT just some boy with a gorgeous body and...such affectionate eyes" Mariah began to trail off, leaving only a massive trail of gibberish behind her. Mariah began to get angry at her mother and clenched her fists. Her forehead began to throb and her eyes goldened. The pupils elongated and the glint disappeared into the back of the golden cat eyes.

The old lady jerked back, the force of Mariah's anger began to shake the very foundations of the gateway around her. The clouds became purple and lightening shot out of them. The line began to bend and cripple and bend again before warping left and right rapidly. "Mariah, Mariah calm down! You are destroying everything you see around you!" The earthquakes slowed as Mariah's curiosity became aroused. "Me?" she asked innocently. Her mother nodded slowly as the ground beneath them became pink tinted glass that cracked so faintly. "Mariah...don't get too exited but this world does not exist, because, well, it can't exist" said the woman. Mariah sensed her opportunity as she bowed her head and gave a crooked smile under the cover of her hair. "Well, mother, I want you to let me out of this hell hole. I want to be back in Ray's arms, you said it yourself. I love Ray, my heart yearns for him when I am away. I want my tiger back!" The old woman scolded at Mariah looked at her feet. "Well...you certainly have the family spunk Mariah, but you are not yet clever enough to pick your own fights wisely." She cackled hysterically as she rose up off of a ledge and into the clouds all around them. Holding out her arms the old lady began sucking the lightning into her hands. With each strike, Mariah's mother got stronger and stronger. Suddenly, it dawned upon Mariah. "I am dealing with something more than just any old woman". Mariah said.

"Right you are little girl, ha ha ha!" she laughed. The old woman launched for Mariah, sending the lightening at her faster than light itself. "Argh!" Mariah screamed. The smell of singing flesh and burning clothing filled the air around her. The nails on Mariah's fingers began to sharpen and grow. Standing up, Mariah panted hard. "You thought that that would do it?" she said. Mariah's hair began to stand on end and her ears pointed up as her bow used to. She looked at her hands...paws. "Oh My heavens!" she gasped. Mariah looked at herself in the glass as she began to take on a pinkish glow. "Galux?" she asked herself. The old woman shouted down, "Because Galux is part of you Mariah! But all of your weaknesses will still be there underneath the new exterior you now possess" Mariah looked at her back as is began to tear free of the bulging clothing. "Twice in two days" she said "What is wrong with my clothes". The old woman shot down from the heavens at Mariah's newly formed face. With one swipe of the paw, Mariah launched her across the floor and held her down. "You are nothing, you are just a figment of my imagination!" Mariah cleaved into the scalp of the old lady, whose eyes began to roll back.

Hours past and Mariah was still carving the carcus to shreads. The meat was separated into light and dark piles and the bones on a nice neat pile at the end. "When you died I was supposed to get out of here!" she roared.

(Back in the real world)

Suddenly Mariah woke up. Gasping for air she looked around her, Ray was gone. The sun was up and morning had come, the water from her clothes had dried off do she knew that she had been there foor a while. Mariah stood up and walked back down the mountain constantly thinking about the dream, or was it? Well what ever it is, Mariah suppressed it, it was nothing, a figment of her imagination she hoped.

Ray was in the living room surrounded by the rest of the white tigers. "Guys, I have some bad news...Mariah is..." With that the door flew open. "Baby, why did you leave me up the mountain? I know that I am faster than you and all but don't do it again, ok?" said Mariah. She _pounced_ into Ray's arms and held him tight. "You know, I still want those monogrammed night robes, but labelled Mariah, and her...boyfriend?" she asked with another trade mark cheeky grin. Ray looked down and cried, "Sure, I love you Mariah" whispered Ray into Mariah's ear. Kevin sat on the stairs looking down as the pair kissed so passionately. Kevin clenched his fists so tight it is a wonder that they didn't break. "How dare you? You are not pure, you are tainted further than even the ancients could help you!" he scowled

Just sorry to every one too, I have been away from the laptop and I will try to get the chapters up online more regularly next time sorry (Pretend that I am doing the Mariah cheeky smile)


	4. I am a What?

OH MY GOD! It has been a whole 3 months since the last time I updated my fan fiction…sorry. You would not believe it; my little sister broke my computer people sorry for that. But you know, I am back, bigger and badder than ever! I have had several people get in touch about my badly named "STORY THANK YOU BIT or STYB" and so for that Thank you Kuzon 98, who out of interest has finished his tigress' revenge story (Nice one man!) and ILVMariah who is not actually part of the site (Hope to see you soon dude). Well when we last left it Ray and Mariah became exclusive… FINALLY! We saw Mariah turn into Galux… Sort of and her mother was a witch and got blown up in a massive fiery inferno (Just another day in my mind) so shall we start again. Also look for a line that could give you a clue on what the genre of my next work is going to be. ;)

**I am a what?**

Mariah lay up on the sofa quietly, he feet on the arm of the opposite side and her head on the comfiest cushion that she made when she was little. She lay deep within her thoughts, flashing between reality and the purple world of the inside of her mind. She blew her hair up and waited for it to come down again and when it did she blew once more. Mariah sighed hard.  
"What's wrong Mariah?" asked Ray from the other side of the room.  
"Nothing Ray… I'm fine" she smiled cheekily as she always did.  
"Well I'm not, why don't we talk about what happened last night, why did you do it?" Mariah looked at him and began to feel uneasy, her eyes filled up with tears at the thought of what nearly happened.  
"I'm sorry, Ray. It just became too much Lee, Kevin, You everything fell apart after you came home and why do I feel this way because for nine years all I wanted was for you to return and now that you have. I find it hard to breathe sometimes, I don't know if I have forgiven you for leaving or not. One minute I love that you returned to me and the gang after so long as it shows that you cared enough to come home and that you have not forgotten the good times that we had. But then I think about it more and you left just after the white tiger bit piece as though you just used us for all that we were worth and why else would you leave without even a note or a 'fare the well'. And… And…" Ray stopped her before she coughed up her heart and held her close.  
"I can't always be here to save you Mariah. You need to know that." Mariah looked up at Ray, her mascara smudged and her foundation all over Ray's tunic. Ray set her back down onto the sofa "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to push you to this or anything close." Ray reached into his pocket and fumbled around for a while. Mariah stared intently, watching, waiting to see what would emerge from beneath the blue cloth. "Here." Whispered Ray as he handed her something in a closed fist. Mariah held out her hands and received a pink ribbon. Her eyes lit up with joy and excitement. "Thank you, Ray." She placed the Ribbon between several hairs and began to weave it round until the typical 'cat girl' look was restored. "I love you, Ray" whispered Mariah into Ray's ear.  
"I love you too, Mariah." Ray looked at Mariah and her too at him. Mariah closed her eyes as she leaned in for the kiss. Ray's eye lids became heavy also as the pair's mouths were almost touching. "This is it!" thought Mariah, "after 12 years of loving Ray I am finally going to kiss him as his girlfriend, the very first kiss." The lips were no more than a fingers distance between them when suddenly Kevin appeared in the doorway. A maniacal smile stretched across his lips as he reached into his pocket.  
"Was that the first kiss that I just ruined?" Ray looked at Kevin; Kevin looked at Mariah and Mariah at Ray.  
"Yes. As a matter of fact it was!" said Mariah.  
"Gutting isn't it, Mariah. The thought that something is going to go so perfectly when instead it goes so wrong, just think about that feeling every time you see me" He raised one eyebrow as he glided down the hall and into his room where he began to laugh hysterically.  
"A hit and run raid, that's not usually Kevin's style. He's up to something massive and you should go careful of him, Mariah." Mariah nodded gently as she let go of Ray's arms. "I need to go see Lee about something. Give me around twenty minutes and I will start getting ready. When I am ready we will go into town ok?" Ray looked at her with the look he always gave her when she was off the hook. "See you in an hour then; I will go fishing on the lake until then _ok?"_ Mariah nodded with a sideways stare. Ray went into the cupboard behind the table and left her standing alone in the kitchen. She had a thought. "Kevin's been getting stranger since the night on the roof so perhaps if I went to talk to him then maybe things will get better between us." She crept over to the room that Kevin had secluded himself into. She placed her ear against the smooth oak finish of the door. Suddenly the laughter stopped and the sound of footsteps began to echo down the hall. A shadow appeared under the door of the room. The shadow was much larger than Kevin, perhaps it was Gary. It wasn't. The shadow had long arms of muscles and small spindly legs like a spider but only two. "I know you're there, Mariah!" She darted back and slammed her should against the stairs behind her. The lights went out and the hall was dark. The doors were shut and sun had gone in. Stumbling to her feet, Mariah dragged herself up the stairs behind her. Slowly but surely she made her way to the library, the largest room in the house. The door creaked open and echoed across the book covered walls of the study. "What was that thing?" she asked herself. Just then a voice appeared from on high. "That was a homa yado, Mariah" Mariah looked up at the floating eyes in the corner of the room. Something dropped from the ceiling, it was Lee.  
"Lee! Thank goodness that you're…wait…what's a horo yarder?" Lee smiled.  
"A homa yado is a being that is both man and beast. Though homa yado is the real term it is used as an insult. It roughly translates to 'Half Breed' or 'Half Formed'."  
"Well where does it come from and what did it do with Kevin? I only wanted to check on him!"  
"Mariah, Kevin is the half form. Do you think it was mere coincidence that the four of us guys were so close as a group of friends…no. Our great grandfather was one of the first to be blessed by the spirits of our tribe. He was the very first homa yado. Kevin's great aunt was a homa yado and so was Gary's Uncle."  
"What about Ray…who's blood does he spawn from?"  
"I don't know. No one does, Ray came to our village when he was just three years old. He was separated from a group of travellers. He must have had homa yado blood from one or more of them." Mariah looked confused.  
"You told me that Ray was the son of Resukin."  
"I lied. Ray was never meant to be one of us. It was by chance not by fate that we found him. He was alone in the forest at the foot of the mountain.

**(flashback)**

The day was long and the sun was beating down. Father had just told me to go and collect wood for the initiation ceremony that was to take place later that evening. The timing could not have been better. I was walking alone in the forest looking for a white ash tree for the ceremonial fire when I heard something. In the trees above me was a boy. He was crying. Every fibre of my existence said that I should have looked away and carried on walking, but foolishly I asked him was what wrong.  
"Nothing" he said to me trying to wipe his tears from his cheeks to cover up the weakness that was so obvious. I leapt down from the tree. I didn't care for the child much. I began to walk quickly away I was not yet fully involved with him and I could still get away. Just as I got to the point where I would disappear from view he called to me. "My mother and father are gone you know" he said. I just pointed up at the mountain; I still had my chores to complete.  
"Go up there, see if you can find them" I carried on expecting him to struggle on the way up and of course fail. But he didn't I met him at the top being hugged by Mrs. Resukin the now adopted mother of Ray"

**(Flash back ended. Back in the room (sorry it was a short one :) )**

"That's the story, Mariah. I am just glad that you finally know the story." Mariah stood there stunned. She didn't understand any of this.  
"Why hasn't Ray told me anything of this? He and I share everything with one another." Lee looked down at the ground with a look of sorrow.  
"Mariah, you must understand that this is a history that our village would rather not remember. Ray was a **_link to the past_**. There was a conspiracy that led to Ray being taken to Lake Silverlight. When he came back he remembered nothing about coming to the lake at all. Nothing about the homa yado race and nothing of his past. He believes that he was born here and that he grew up like any one of us." Mariah wiped her eyes and looked up at Lee.  
"How can get him to remember?"  
"We can't, Mariah. The hypnosis was designed so that whenever the person remembered what they were not supposed, they would die." Mariah stepped back and covered her mouth with.  
"Does that mean that the beast in Kevin's room was…Kevin?" Lee nodded once.  
"And you?" Lee just looked at her with no words. (He basically acted like Kai from the blade breakers for this entire chapter)  
"Mariah, I am a lion, Kevin is a gorilla. Gary is bear and you Mariah are a cat."  
Mariah looked Lee and raised one eyebrow. She folded her arms.  
"How long did it take you to figure that one out Lee?" She said sarcastically "I have been tying this bow for years.  
"Mariah this is serious, you inhabit the body of Galux when you want to. The younger you are the easier it is; that'll be why Kevin is so good at it. You might get away with it. But Gary and I can't do it anymore because we haven't changed in so long." Mariah turned around to go for the door. "Well I have to get ready to go out with Ray so see ya later" Mariah was trying to get out of the creepy situation as quickly as possible.  
"Ray is a snow tiger, just so that you know" Mariah went down the hall and entered her bedroom. "What if it's true?" she thought.

Remember readers any reviews are appreciated good or bad. Next chapter is coming soon.


	5. An interesting Proposal

Hello all here is my latest chapter number 5! Quick warning, this chapter is not as good as the last dudes it is a filler chapter. And now for some of my story thank you bit Thank you Kuzon98 once more for reviewing my chapters again and again, thanks for being so loyal that you stay even after my massive lapse in chapters. I must also make an apology, the story by Kuzon98 is in fact no tigress' revenge and in fact her 'avenger' sorry about that. By the way several private messages are flooding my inbox and I would like to say 'yes' there will be more stories coming that is why these chapters take so long to come online because I am working on other stories that are kind of not fan fictions. I might place them one the site under their closest partners like one will be under star wars because it sounds like star wars a bit. The other is a sword and sorcery and that will be placed in legend of Zelda because that is what inspired the story.

**An interesting Proposal**

Kevin sat up in his room staring out of the window. The rain poured down onto the glass like bullets from a rifle being shot by a skilled sharp shooter.  
"Nearly there now" he said as he reached for something under his bed. Slowly but surely a small wooden chest emerged from under the shadows of the blankets that hang over the side. The chest had rot on one side and scratches all up the other with a huge silver lock on the front. Kevin stretched his arms out wide and grasped into his satchel up on the shelf. "Come to papa!" he muttered as a small brass key fell from the shelf and tinged on the floor as it bounced slightly and dropped down. The key was old and frail but still Kevin handled it like a two tone anvil. The key slotted in to the key hole perfectly as it turned. The lock became unlocked and it hid the ground with a massive clunk. The sound echoed through the house like a mighty animal roar. The chest door raised slowly and then caught itself on the little strap Kevin had attached to stop the door from flying open. Kevin's eyes lit up with glee as he pulled out a dagger. The dagger blade was long and slender with a diamond tip sharper than any knife before. The guard on the handle was jewel in crested and the handle had a giant insect on it. The insect looked like a beetle with ruby eyes and silver and gold wings. "Soon, thou shalt taste blood and hath my vengeance served!"

(**In town Mariah and Ray)**

Mariah walked down the road with Ray at her side. Despite being the dream that she had had for so long this was not what she wanted. Mariah had something else on her mind. Ray pointed out many items like jumpers and jackets in pink but she didn't even give them a second look.  
"Why don't we sit down and get a sandwich or something?" Asked Ray who was becoming increasingly more worried. Mariah just nodded as she looked up. There was a book store with an offer on for enchanted history books. (**and if you think that's clumsy writing, you ain't just whistlin' Dixie pal**) She rushed off inside leaving a confused Ray on the street. The bell on the tingled frantically as Mariah stormed through the door. An old lady stood behind the counter.  
"How can I help you, darling?" She asked. Mariah raised one eyebrow, the old lady thought she was a kid!  
"I am looking for something that can help me find out more about a legend that I have heard about. It is an old legend of my people."  
"Oh what legend is that then, sweetie?" Mariah gave a sideways stare.  
"It is called a…Homa Yado" At that moment the music in the store skipped and the water jug on the counter broke. All of the shrunken heads on the walls fell off and the women stepped back in horror. Mariah stood though unscathed by the catastrophe going on around her.  
"Here, take it, get out and please do not return." Whispered the lady into Mariah's face. Mariah looked at her with a sideways stare, puzzled and confused she backed out of the store cautiously. Once out the door she continued to back away never breaking eye contacted with the shopkeeper until…  
"Oh my Heavens!" Screamed Mariah, she had backed right into Ray's arms,  
"Calm down" he said. "you don't need to worry" he smiled sweetly at her as she turned around. Mariah looked up and down and then worryingly smiled back.  
"How about that sandwich now" she offered.

At the restaurant she sat and read the book with Ray eating quietly opposite her.  
"Must you read that thing all the time?"  
"well actually" she said "I have only read it a little since we got it and I am in the middle of something important!" Ray looked down at his plate. The pair had grown apart a lot since they were kids. Ray wasn't even sure that this would ever work…not anymore. Mariah's face remained fixated on the pages in front of her and words that they read. You could occasionally here her read a few words aloud but under her breathe. Ray began to feel uneasy, what could possibly be so important that it would cause him to lose his one and only fan girl? He didn't know.

Once home the pair sat down on the sofa below the landing that still had the broken railing. Mariah put the big book down with a thud on the table. She sat up right with her hands on her lap and her hair over her shoulder. She waited for Ray to make a move but he never did. She looked over at him and he kept his head down. She took her arm and wrapped around his back so she hung from his hunched torso to land neatly in his lap like a small Labrador. "So what do you want to do?" she asked him softly. Ray looked at her with slight confusion, despite always knowing what Mariah wanted with Ray and what she had taught him, he was an innocent soul who knew very little about the world of love, after all every girl he had met on his travels was only a friend, nothing more. Mariah drew ever closer to Ray's face so that she was just a lips distance away from his, "Because I know what I want to do" she pressed her lips against his and Ray's world melted. He had never had the desire for her that Mariah had shown for him but this suddenly made him know what she meant by 'a feeling unlike any other to be with the one you love' he wrapped her arms around Mariah's back to support her and bring her further into the kiss. Mariah's eyes rolled back and her breathing became shallow.  
"He's kissing me back" she thought "He loves me too!" Mariah felt like she was Irish dancing on a pile of rainbows and money and everything that was wrong with the world was suddenly right. The whole world simultaneously sang the dame note in a choir of pure ecstasy. Her feet became light and floated off of the floor as Ray carried her up off of the sofa before placing her back on her back. Mariah knew what was coming next as crouched over her still kissing her. Mariah could feel herself getting swept up in the moment as she tore off his tunic with her left hand still holding him in the right. Mariah also managed to slip her top off in all the confusion. Ray looked down at his once friend now partner. Her bare skin only made him want her more. As he reached for the strap to unhook the bra he heard something. There in the doorway was Lee. Lee looked emotionless at Ray before raising one eyebrow.  
"Can I suggest that you stop there. You aren't married and besides, we all share that sofa and I Don't want it happening in this house…ok?" Ray was perplexed, her thought that he was going to get a massive shouting at but he didn't. He nodded once before looking down at Mariah.  
"I'm sorry, put your shirt back on" he said as he left the room.  
"But Ray? We could always go somewhere else." Ray returned with a package in hand.  
"Lee kind of ruined the surprise with all of this but maybe it will still be ok" Ray got down onto one of his knees and held out a small box. "Mariah?"  
"Yes Ray?" her eyes began to fill with tears as she already knew what was coming.  
"Will you do me the tremendous honour of becoming my bride in front of all the village during the Silver Lights festival?" Mariah burst out into fit of hysterical laughs and crys with some nice shrill screams sprinkled over the top. "Mariah, you kind of have to say something in plain English" Her cheeks began to go red with embarrassment.  
"Yes of course I will!" The pair shared one last kiss before Mariah darted off down the hall. "I have to tell everyone!" She yelled. Ray smiled as Gary came from behind the kitchen counter.  
"I just saw what you did, Ray"  
"how much of what I just did?"  
"Only that you proposed, why? Was there more I should have seen?"  
"No! No that's fine"  
"Anyway that was a pretty nice thing you did for her. She has been fantasising about marring you since the day you left, you make it really special now, or you'll answer to me!" The great bear lumbered off down the hall that Mariah disappeared down before disappearing himself up the stairs. Ray just stood there for a moment and contemplated what he had just done. "I'm getting married" he thought and he fell down on the sofa with his buckled legs flapping in front of him. "I getting married in two weeks".


	6. David' err 'Mariah and Golioth'

Well, well, well I'll bet that no one saw the wedding coming but will there even be a wedding with Kevin on the prowl and all these new revelations coming to light. What's going to happen next? Thank you once again to Kuzon98 for reviewing my latest chapter as always. This is a really big chapter in terms of what happens in it so despite sounding boring read on so that you get what's happening. By the way from the few that have private messaged me, no Kevin will probably not have a chapter to himself and if you don't understand why each stories keep switching between the two then watch a movie like this like 'lock stock and two smoking barrels' that is a movie that does this. By the way some people have been asking me about the legend of Zelda style story and I am in a position where I can send out some copies to people if they wish to read it before it hits the site, get in contact for your copy today. Just for all of those of you who got in contact and asked when is there going to be the hot sex part of the story, I am writing this in a public area so I can't write that bit until I get my own laptop come new year's, maybe Christmas For all of those of you who are American, a STAG do and a HEN do is the English version of a BACHOLOR PARTY OR BACHALORETTE PARTY.

'**David' er I mean 'Mariah and Goliath' **

Ray stared at the ceiling from his bed. His hands behind his head as he stroked his hair. He was deep in his thoughts. He wondered of Mariah. Looking at the wall he pondered her for a while. For just beyond the wall she was dressing in her 'going out' clothes. (In other words a slightly tighter version of the clothes she wears on the TV show.) Ray had never seen her going out clothes before; he just knew that Mariah didn't wear them often. Ray worried about her hen party. What if she found someone better looking? What would be done then.

Mariah emerged from behind the door.  
"You in here?" she asked  
"Yeah" said Ray  
"I am leaving for town now. I am going into town for my party" Ray looked down concerned  
"Don't worry, no drinks for me. I am going to go to the White Wood fight club. When we are married I won't be allowed to do that anymore so I am going to enjoy myself." He breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Besides…" Ray looked at her intently as Mariah smiled. "I can't fight if I can't see properly" she giggled. Before leaping out of the window. Ray chased her to the edge of the balcony. Before she disappeared into the wood. Just then a buzzing sound began behind him. It was Ray's phone. "Don't worry, I'll have the girls with me so should anything happen all will be well." Said the text. Ray raised one eyebrow before smiling  
"I didn't think she'd be fighting" he said

**(In town at the fight club)**

The lanterns hung from the lines above their heads as Mariah and her group of the girls followed the path that lead into town. The ally opened up into a massive town square that had a built up stage in the middle of the clearing surrounded by a large amount of bystanders who came to watch the violence and catch the blood. These were the known as the blood knuckle gang they were known for being the hardest of the hard and doing anything for a good fight. They always came around this time of year to enjoy the live action fights that took place on stage and this year was no exception. The crowds roared with excitement as the electricity filled the air. Mariah turned back and looked at her group.  
"Sam, you ready for this?" Sam nodded as she wisped her black hair from her pale white face. "How about you, Lenora?" Lenora didn't say a word for she was a mute. She simply raised her right eyebrow and looked at her sideways. The three pushed their way to the front of the rabble just in time to see a man get thrown into the air by a giant ogre like man that makes Gary look small. His eyes wide and large like an animal. The smaller of the men flew so far the girls couldn't see where he'd landed. Mariah turned around.  
"He looks good" she chuckled soon the referee stepped up on stage and began to announce the victory.  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please from any member of the audience do you feel the urge to come and fight the champion." No one looked up to get on stage. Mariah looked around disgusted. "Nobody feeling brave? Lucky perhaps? Well then I have no choice but to award the trophy of ultimate fighter to…"  
"I'll do it" said Mariah. She stepped up on stage and looked the giant in the eye. "The rules are that anyone can join the fight right?" The referee was stunned.  
"Well yes but…"  
"But?"  
"You are a woman."  
"SO!?"  
"Well because of this that means you _can't_ fight. Not that you aren't allowed to try but you shouldn't." Mariah took no notice; she just stood there and pouted. She then walked right on by into the arena. Looking around her there was just an infinite number of people standing around the ring in an ocean of faces. From afar she could hear one of the voices say,  
"Hey, most people would take their top off to fight!" The crowd began to laugh.  
"Well, it wouldn't be a very good hen party if there wasn't some form of nudity. Mariah slipped the jumper from around her waist off and handed it to Lenora. "Look after that for me will you please?" she nodded. Mariah then slowly began to remove her shirt to reveal her bra which she had no intention of removing. "Very well" she offered  
"when do we start?" She turned to the giant and looked him in the eye and gave a crooked smile.  
"Gehmora no like hitting pretty girls"  
"Don't think of me as a girl then, think of me as another opponent!" The bell rang and the battle commenced,  
"Come on then big guy what ya got?" Mariah circled with the mighty beast as she lunged for him catching him with the heel of her trainer. Gehmora stepped back, and began to clench his fists. She went low as if to sumo wrestle the giant. She charged forward and caught him off guard and he fell through the crowd on the floor. The bell rang to signal the end of the first round.  
"Well that was quick" Thought Mariah. She picked herself up and looked out towards the crowd to soak up some of the love. Mariah turned around to out stare her opponent when she felt her heart sink. For over in the opposite corner was the kid of her nightmares. Kevin was Gehmora's trainer for the night.  
"Kevin, what the hell are you doing here?" she exclaimed.  
"What's wrong, Mariah? You look like you have seen a ghost!"  
"You are a ghost! Made of nothing that children fear when the shadows fall. I though am no child. I am not scared of you anymore Kevin, why don't you stop sending in your scapegoat and fight me yourself!" Kevin just chuckled as he looked down. He reached for a drink and handed it to the fighter.  
"You know, Mariah. You should really lock the door when you and Ray get up to what you get up to!" Mariah's mouth dropped open,  
"You _are_ nothing more than a no good pervert. I bet you planned that night on the roof!" Kevin took the bottle back from the giant.  
"Mariah?"  
"What!"  
Watch your back now won't you!" he bowed his head and smirked. When Mariah turned back to him he had disappeared in to thin air. Mariah turned around again to see that the giant had risen almost from the dead. He was large and in charge and ready to go some. DING The bell rung through Mariah's mind as she stood there unaware that the beast was charging towards her like a raging bull. There was only one thing on her mind, Kevin, what was he planning? No one could tell. CRUNCH The beast finally hit her with enough force to drive her into the audience. She scraped her arms and bare back on the rock hard gravel. She stumbled to her feet as bits of stone and glass fell out of her back. The crowd went silent. She walked back towards the ring boldly. Lenora and Sam stood in her way.  
"Mariah, stop now please! No one will think any less of you for backing out, not after that." Mariah took no notice of the Sam until the most amazing thing happened.  
"What would Ray say if you came home all bloodied up?" murmured Lenora. The girl's eyes widened  
"I thought you were a mute!" Lenora just nodded. Mariah agreed to leave there and then. She turned from the ring before a whipping sound reverberated through the crowd and stopped at Mariah. She dropped to the ground face first. There on her back was a slash mark from her right shoulder to her left hip. The searing pain made Mariah scream out in agony. The piercing yell broke the eardrums and hearts of the spectators. The beast was not finished yet. He charged once more to finish the job. Mariah stumbled to her feet and held up her fists, they shook before her. The impact was so loud that dogs in Australia heard the thud. Mariah flew through the air and crashed through a window. Mariah picked a piece of glass from her back and looked into it at her reflection. Her face was cut and her hair was out of place.  
"I look like a pink warrior goddess who just got beat!" just then she heard something.  
"Come on Mariah, I told you to watch your back!" At that moment her eyes lit up and fire burned inside her.  
"KEVIN!" she thought. Mariah sprang to her feet and charged at the beast with the glass in hand. She grasped it so hard that the blood poured from her own hand before she even got to Gehmora. The trail of crimson slime ran up to the giant. Mariah leapt up and slashed the back of the beast's neck hoping to disable it. He grabbed her and squeezed her between its massive clutches. Mariah's bones gave way under the intense pressure; and it was only getting tighter. Thinking quickly she cleaved the glass into the mighty hands and pierced the skin releasing the blood fountain in a frightful fury of red. The Giant cried out in pain as Mariah was thrown up into the air, she angled herself and plummeted towards the face of Gehmora. The glass sliced through the eye blinding the beast temporarily before she fell off of the top of the monster's forehead to the hard stage below. Mariah's back crippled as she fell through the stage into the metal supports below. The giant still wasn't finished yet. He reached behind him and grabbed a hold of a lamp post and pulled it out of the ground. It roared a mighty roar that carried for miles. Mariah looked up and tried to go unnoticed amongst the rubble and metal. Looking down Mariah spotted a knife on the floor.  
"It's only 3 feet" she thought as she tried to reach for it. Her finger tips just managed to stroke the handle and tip it slightly towards her. At the last minute she managed to clasp the blade between her finger nails, the scraping sound was unbearable. Suddenly the monster grabbed Mariah leg and tossed her in the air before swiping at her with the lamp post like a giant baseball game, a sick game that the audience and the blood knuckle gang loved the live action. Mariah shot downwards luckily missing the mighty metal pole. She sliced the mighty warrior's chest from the bottom of the neck right down to the gap between his legs. One last mighty cry filled the air before the giant began to stumble. The crowd went silent again. The giant went forward and back before finally coming to rest on the ground on the stage. Mariah stood tall and proud. Bloody and bruised but proud none the less. Sam leapt up on stage and grabbed Mariah by the arm.  
"Well done Mariah! Let's get you home now!" Mariah nodded as she fumbled on the floor to try and find her shirt. Lenora handed her the jumper and Mariah disappeared into the distance with the others hand in hand. Mariah looked back at the crowd cheering her name,  
"MARIAH, MARIAH, MARIAH!" they screamed. Mariah smiled before giving way to allow her friends to carry her home victoriously.

Later that night Mariah was sitting on the edge of the bed holding a bottle of Vodka with salt and cotton pads to try and heal her cuts before Ray came home from his own party.  
"Come on, Come on!" Just then Ray came through the door.  
"Mariah?"  
"Yes!" she shut the door really quickly hoping that Ray wouldn't come through the bedroom door.  
"Where are you?"  
"In the bedroom…don't come in!"  
"Why not, it's nothing I haven't seen already remember and when we are married I'll see it a whole lot more."  
"Oh, I wish you'd seen this before" Ray began to climb the stairs, Mariah's heart sank a little more with each creak from each stair. "Quickly Mariah…THINK, THINK, THINK!" and then it came to her "I am wearing my wedding dress, please don't come in it's bad luck, let me get it off quickly" she lied. Ray stood outside of the door as Mariah quickly put a pair of knickers and didn't bother with a bra before slipping into Ray's favourite nightdress because it covered up the cuts and scrapes.  
"Ok, I am coming in now". Said Ray playfully, Mariah straightened herself out ready to receive her man!  
"There you are" Ray ploughed into her and kissed her against the bed.  
"So how was your party?" she asked  
"Fine, I didn't get into a fight, unlike you though how did your fight night go?  
"Oh, err, I won!" she smiled the pair began laughing until they tired themselves out and went to sleep.

"She used the dagger, My plan is falling into place!"

Well what a roller coaster wide of a chapter. Now most of you at home will be thinking where have I heard that fight scene before, well… I kind of took some ideas from the KLOMPA BOSS off of the Prince of Persia Sands of Time game. Kevin is having his revenge and I wonder if any of you can figure out what's happening before it happens. Also PERSONAL AWARD YAY this is my longest chapter on the story to date check it out. Please REVIEW


	7. Stags and Hens should never mix

Most people didn't see last chapter coming and this is going to follow the trend as we finally get to find out what Kevin has planned… Is it deadly or just silly string? That would be such an anti-climax wouldn't it? Anyway some people are asking me why Mariah used Vodka and Salt with the cotton pads well I just thought they use alcohol in the hospital to heal wounds so why not use Vodka, that has large percentage of alcohol that is legal if not it would have been MOONSHINE. The salt is to clean out the wounds after Kevin-Beast in the form of Gehmora attacked her. I also got the idea for the boat 'Mariah's Hope' from the Jaws 2 boat called the Jennifer's hope in which Eddie and Jenifer were making love and the shark kills Eddie. By the way the Glass in her back is quite important so if you don't remember that really well then please read the chapter now. Finally I am looking for ideas on the Ending. I have some good ones but I want to know what YOU think the ending should be. Thank You Kuzon98 And SuperMan23 for reviewing my latest chapter as well nick and x-x666x-x. I really appreciate people and any other reviewers are welcome to get their name in the "BADLY and IRRITATINGLY NAMED STORY THANK YOU BIT!" or the B.I.N.S.T.Y so come on ILVMariah you used to review? So onward with the chapter! And yes these intros are getting longer and longer each time this one is a record 271 words at the end of this full stop.

"**Would you like to know your fate?"**

The sun rose and allowed a tender amber light to pierce through the crack in the curtains to land upon Mariah's face. She stirred slightly before opening her eyes slowly to reveal her soft golden eyes under the pink tinged eyelids from the night before. She sat herself up to wipe her eyes free of the coarse dust the sand man left behind.  
"Morning, Ray" she offered, but no one answered. Mariah began to worry when she looked over to the side of the bed and there was just an indentation of Ray slept but no Ray to fill the valley in the sheets. Her feet dangled over the edge of the bed trying to the slippers she always kept at the wall side of the bed. One she found them she poked her feet in to the pink fluffy bunnies' backs and ventured into the bathroom. Mariah stared into the mirror and tried to tie her hair back in the usual fashion.  
"Under…over…around and in" she murmured as she tie the bow into the typical 'cat ears' shape. At that moment she felt a strange feeling come over her, like she was going to be sick. She flung herself over to the toilet and hung over it like a vulture for rotting meat. She blew her guts, the vomit spewed everywhere like a fountain of yesterday's dinner. Mariah rose up from the rim of the loo and looked in the mirror again, and noticed the mess now in her hair.  
"Well nothing else for it!" she said as she turned the knob on the shower onto power mode. Mariah began to undress herself slowly, the pain from the night before was still with her. She first took her arms out from the sleeves and grabbed the inside of the nightgown and pulled it over herself. She then reached for her now blood stained knickers that were put on in such a rush the night before they actually made the wounds deeper. One around her ankles Mariah stepped out of them and into the now warm shower. As she stepped in the warm water pounded at her ankles when she turned around. There was a look of horror and shock on Mariah's face as she caught sight of herself in the mirror, there before her was a body that looked like her own, the wounds from the night before matched her memory, apart from two. Stepping forward Mariah noticed that there was an odd mark on each of her breasts below the ovrils. She looked closer and closer until it made sense to her. It was Kevin's signature that was sprawled across her otherwise sheet of perfection that she had worked so hard since Ray left to achieve. Mariah screamed as loud as she had ever screamed before. Ray came charging up the stair case at break neck pace to the bathroom door and stopped in his tracks when he saw Mariah.  
"Mariah what's wrong?" he asked trying to stay calm.  
"Can't you see it?!" she replied  
"No, you look fine, apart from all the…um…the, you know the err" Ray began to stutter like a geeky teenager trying to chat up his very first girl, tripping over every other word.  
"Not these cuts, this one here" Mariah pointed to her chest. This of course was Ray's fantasy all that was missing was the rose petals. He came closer to have a look and he too recognised Kevin's signature that he put down to get items through the post for. Ray clenched his fists and gritted his teeth before turning around.  
"Put some clothes on and stay in here no matter what. I am going to go and have a word with our little friend" Ray left abruptly leaving Mariah, wet from the waist down standing in the bath room, confused and worried.

Ray charged through the hall way down to Kevin's room. Grasping the door handle Ray ground his teeth together to the point of breaking the tops and leaving nothing but nubs in their places. Mariah emerged from the bathroom (dressed fully) and ventured outward towards the landing to look down at Ray who was now shoulder bashing the locked oak door. Just then Mariah heard something behind her.  
"Mariah. Mariah! Mariah" the whispering sound was calling her over to a mirror. Once she reached the mirror the sound stopped. Her face began to morph and change. Her hair began to change from the usual pink and become blood red. IT did not stop there though, it continued to change to a dark to a unique blend of green. It looked like a cross between dark spring green and Pakistan green. The let-down look became a ponytail and the pink bow simply disappeared. Her fangs became smaller and the nose further shaped than before.  
"What's happening to me?" she cried as she could only watch in horror at the creepy show before her. The shoulders became pushed back into her torso as though Mariah's reflection was going backwards through puberty into a body of an 11 year old. Suddenly her breasts began to disappear and her chest became flat. Each pink item on her body suddenly changed into a sky blue shirt with matching shorts and a white criss-cross style bandage across her torso. The white trainers became brown boots from last season's horror convention until the reflection she saw before her was no longer Mariah and it was now a reflection of Kevin  
"Hello, Mariah." It said.  
"Kevin, you stop this madness right now! I kissed you after you saved me wasn't that enough for you?" Kevin shook his head violently and smiled.  
"No. Mariah I loved you and opened myself up to you. You took my heart as the offering I gave you and you stomped it into the dust."  
"Kevin, I didn't mean…"  
"Well you still did it didn't you!" Kevin looked in the direction of his bedroom door. "it's a shame too."  
"What do you mean?" asked Mariah.  
"That Ray can't ever know about the homa yado history!"  
"Or her dies?" she whispered  
"Well I have posters and objects that depict the homa yado history in my room, if Ray goes in there then he is finished!" Mariah's heart sank and her mind went blank. "Nothing can stop him now Mariah, so what are you going to do about it?" Mariah darted down the stairs and got in front Ray.  
"Stop!" she asked "Please, there is no need to continue this!"  
"Kevin has hurt you in your sleep and that is nothing to worry about?" Mariah bit her bottom lip and had to lie again.  
"No, there is no reason to continue this foolishness" Ray clenched his fists further and further so that you could hear the bones buckling under the strain.  
"Mariah, I am going to go fishing on the lake for a while. While I do, you take care, if you need me just call" said Ray as he disappeared out of the back door towards the small wooden walkway that had been built to access Ray's little boat, Mariah's Hope. Mariah grabbed the buckled door handle herself between her cold cut hands. The knob twisted slowly and opened the door ajar.  
"Do I dare go inside?" she asked herself. Mariah gulped hard as she entered the room slowly. True to his word Kevin had posters and books, and plans and drawings over each of the walls and every spare area that wasn't covered in furniture. Mariah's eyes began scanning the room uncontrollably. She heaved the breath that filed her lungs but still it was only shallow. She sat down in despair and began to cry.  
"OKAY KEVIN…YOU WIN! You win" screamed Mariah, she didn't know what to do.

Suddenly a mirror on the wall came to life again.  
"So Mariah, have you figured it out?" Mariah sniffed and wiped her red raw eyes.  
"Figured what out?" Kevin smirked maniacally,  
"The fiendish master plan." Mariah could only shake her still taking in the horror around her. "Well then I'll tell you. Do you remember that dagger from last night? It had a beetle on the handle right? Good. The blade is empowered by the Gods of the Sacred Asylum. This is why you managed to defeat the Gehmora beast last night. The blade though is as cursed as it is blessed, the one who uses it will have everything they have ever wanted fall apart before their very eyes. So I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to this wedding in a week's time." The image of Kevin began to fade into dust which flew out of the window lazily. The room made Mariah cringe, the thought of the wedding that she had waited for since she was 7 years old and now someone with a grudge and a score to settle was going to take it from her.  
"How's he going to do it?" She thought.

**(Hours past)**

Mariah stood tall and proud with a large black bin bag full of books and poster that no one needed to see.  
"It's been a while since someone cleaned that room" Mariah said ironically. She dragged the bags out towards the back garden where Ray was just bringing the Mariah's Hope into the garage that stood out the back of their house.  
"What's that Mariah?" asked Ray.  
"Nothing, she said, just some old junk around the house." Ray looked at her oddly like she had something stuck on her face. Mariah sensed that another argument was about to in sue so she changed the subject.  
"I see you'd calmed down" she tried to keep a smile on the exterior but inside she was kicking herself, "That's only going to make him mad she thought".  
"Well that's what fishing does to you I suppose" Ray smiled instead as _he_ sensed that he was making her feel awkward. Mariah stood there before him and dipped her head downward towards the ground. Ray took Mariah's hand in his larger hand and smiled. Ray was always the forgiving type, it was one of the many qualities that she loved him for. Ray took Mariah inside the house and sat her down at the table as he walked over to the kitchen counter.  
"I am going to try my hand at cooking" he said. Mariah just watched as Ray darted around the kitchen, grabbing the mince and the tomatoes and other vegetables before dumping them all into a giant bronzed pot on the hob. "So What _was_ in those bags then?" he asked  
Mariah gulped hard.  
"Umm… just some old things in Kevin's room, I managed to get in there after you left" she replied. After a while, Ray placed two glorious looking plates of spaghetti bolognaise before them, the steam rose slowly and hugged Mariah's nose on the way up.  
"Smells good." She complemented.  
"Oh almost forgot the salt" said Ray as he got up again to retrieve the condiment from the cupboard on the other side of the room.

Just then Ray placed his hand upon his head.  
"Uh, I just feel suddenly faint." He said. Mariah put her fork down in confusion.  
"Pardon, Ray?" she asked. Without another moment's notice Ray fell to the ground bringing most of the innards of the cupboard down with him.  
"RAY!" Mariah screamed as Ray lay still on the floor. The screaming alerted Lee and Gary as they came running to the scene.  
"Mariah, what did you do?" asked Lee as Gary tried to pick Ray out of the wreckage of glass.  
"Nothing, he just felt faint and he went." Answered Mariah. Lee gave Mariah a ghastly stare as he followed Gary out into the lounge. Mariah got up to clean the mess. She cried as the glass became lodged in her fingers as she picked up the broken jam jars. Just then she heard a voice.  
"I bet your getting used to glass by now, aren't you, Mariah?" she turned around and there in the doorway was Kevin, the real Kevin.  
"Kevin, if you have any love for me now you will stop this right now." Shouted Mariah.  
"No, Mariah. I no longer have love for you not anymore!"  
"But you did once, please Kevin. Understand what you're doing."  
"I do understand, I know that I am ruining your life!"  
"Kevin, I…"  
"Save your words, I just wanted you to know that… It now begins" Kevin smirked once again before gliding down the hallway towards his bedroom door. He suddenly appeared back again to say, "And by the way, stay out of my room!" and he disappeared again.

Kevin is close to having his revenge, the wedding is just down the road and Mariah is thought to be the cause of Ray's unusual injury. What's going to happen next, who knows? And yet another longest chapter!

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